Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)

The recently published Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025 outlines new service provisions and funding models for community pharmacies. Two areas of particular concern are the exclusion of blister packs or monitored dosage systems, MDS, from reimbursement under the agreement and restrictive provisions on phased dispensing, limiting its use and removing reimbursement in some cases. These omissions undermine safe medicines management for vulnerable patients and place additional strain on pharmacies, many of which currently provide these supports on a goodwill basis without funding. Blister packs or MDS help patients manage complex medication regimes safely and independently, reducing errors and hospital admissions. The new agreement explicitly excludes reimbursement for blister packs, despite acknowledging the importance of medicine optimisation. Pharmacies currently absorb the costs of preparing these packs, including time, staff and materials. This is not sustainable in the long term. Will the Taoiseach commit to recommendations to reinstate reimbursement for blister packs and amend the community pharmacy agreement to include reimbursement for the supply and preparation of monitored dosage systems for patients on multiple long-term medicines or with cognitive impairments?

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